Distractions
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Because it's impossible to count money in that dang apartment. At least it was that night. - One-shot.


Distractions

The tiny one room apartment was as seedy as it was filthy. Although, if she was going to be honest with herself, Revy couldn't exactly blame the latter on anyone other than her. Even the other inhabitants of the room, one being a grown man and the other being a baby had next to nothing to do with its state. Not in comparison to her.

So fine. She admitted it. She was a tad messy. But beer cans and bullet shells came with the territory that was Revy. They had to go somewhere. Why not the floor and surrounding areas? Eh? And that wasn't even mentioning all the cigarette butts.

It was then that the woman in question groaned, over at the desk she was hunched over, as she once more lost count of the cash she was trying to count out. Not that it was her fault though. The same thing that had been distracting her all night was causing problems again.

"You," Revy complained as she reached out towards the distracter, "are getting on my nerves now."

For something so small, he did that a lot. The one year old put everything in his mouth. Everything. Including, at the moment, one of her bullet casings that littered the desk she'd sat him up on. Or at least he attempted to. Dropping the cash in her hand, she moved to take it from him.

"See this?" she said, waving it in his face then as the child only giggled, always one to love attention. "You don't eat it. You stupid brat. Here. Is this what you want?"

From the desk she produced another item, one of his pacifiers, which she shoved right in his annoying mouth. At least it got him to shut up.

That was the problem with the little brat. Since he'd learned to sit up on his own without toppling over (for the most part) she'd taken to setting him up there, so he could spend some more time with her. He seemed to enjoy it. He just had to try and eat everything laying around first though.

Still, when Revy glared down at him, it didn't take long for her to shake her head and just pat him on the head instead. As annoying as he was, he was more company to her recently than most people.

Reaching into her pocket, the woman produced her pack of smokes and lighter before quickly lighting up. Then, blowing the smoke away from the baby who, thankfully, was completely focused on his pacifier then and not much else, she decided to get back to business. Ammunition costs had been killing her recently and the money had been tight. In a few minutes, she would find out just how tight.

She was in the middle of doing that, again, when for whatever reason that stupid baby suddenly forgot how to suck or something idiotic like that and his damn pacifier fell from his mouth. Which, apparently, he couldn't pick up. He could fucking whine about it though.

"If you can't sit up there and shut up," she growled at him as she retrieved it before shoving it right back in his mouth, "then you shouldn't have woken up when I got in. You should have stayed asleep and let me handle business. You damn brat."

And then, because he had pissed her off that badly, she revoked his desk privileges and lifted him up. Not that she sent him far. Just to her lap where, honestly, the baby was more comfortable anyhow.

"Now let me do this in peace," she grumbled to him before taking another puff from her cigarette. "Then we can go to bed, alright?"

That was probably part of his problem. It was rather late. Not too late for her, but definitely for him. But she couldn't just force him to fall asleep, could she? Besides, he had been the one that woke up when she came in. Whose fault was that? Huh?

As she got back down to counting and the baby started to drift off in her lap, another distraction became evident rather quickly, the otherwise silent apartment becoming disturbed by one thing.

"Fucking hell, Rock," she growled, glancing over at the bed where the man was stretched out. "When the hell did you start snoring like that?"

When she started needing such a peaceful environment to concentrate on her cash. Apparently.

If she had anything to throw at him then she would have. As she reached for one of the empty beer cans up there one the desk, she realized though that that would wake him and then he'd only serve to further annoy her. She'd just have to put up with his snores.

From her lap, the baby giggled as the sound of her voice, tilting his head back to stare up at the woman. She just snarled down at him though.

"You," she hissed as she caught his pacifier when it fell from his mouth once more, "are going to have to learn to read tones. You know that?"

When she got him all settled again and was about to get back to those damn bills piled around the table, a sudden jarring noise caught her attention. And, with a growl, she reached across the table to grab the ringing phone from where it sat in its cradle.

"What the fuck do you want?" Revy growled into the phone around the cigarette that was still very much so hanging from her mouth. Whatever the person on the other end though must have held her attention as she just sat there for a moment, silently, before saying in a less harsh tone, "How much is the bounty?"

Whatever it was must have agreed with her as, after grumbling out a meet up location, she slammed the phone back down.

"Sorry, kid," she said, getting to her feet then. "Our times gonna be cut a little short tonight. Duty calls."

That was fine as, honestly, the baby was about ready to go to bed anyhow, with or without the woman. And that night, apparently, it was going to be without.

Getting to her feet, Revy took no care in going to drop the boy down on the bed with Rock, not bothering to wake the man either. He had been asleep when she got in anyhow. He'd just figure she never came home. Wasn't too unusual for her. And, if she hunted down that bounty, she'd come home with a few extra wads of cash in her pocket.

"Maybe I'll bring ya back somethin' nice, huh?" she whispered to the baby as she gave his head one last pat before making sure he laid down, curled against his father. Then, turning, she went to get her cutlasses and load up before heading out. Glancing over her shoulder at the child, she even winked. "Don't wait up. Eda ain't known for being much help. With her around, I'll probably get stuck doin' all the work again."

As she grumbled on about the woman, he only snuggled closer to Rock, not even crying when she closed the apartment door behind her, leave the two of them behind to, if she was lucky, get a gun battle or two and, maybe, catch a bounty. Both was preferable, but if it was just the first one, she'd take that too.

Not that he minded as he drifted off. If there was anything that the one year old knew it was that she'd be back. She always was.


End file.
